Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.  Deuteronomy 16:12

“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt,” Moses instructed as he came to the end of his life.   But did these sons of Abraham need to be reminded?  Had they not sat around campfires listening to the stories of parents and grandparents?  Had they not seen the scars on their wrists and ankles, and the marks on their backs—imprints without and far more within—which they would carry to their deaths?

“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.”  Some might have thought, “Hey, Moses, you don’t have to remind us of this.  That’s all behind us.  We need to think positive thoughts, not negative ones.  We need to focus on the good things ahead, not reflect on the past difficulties and troubles.”

“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.”  Moses knew what he was doing.  Why look back?  Here’s why.  In looking back, you are reminded of your humble roots and you resist the temptation to say, “Look what I’ve done.  I raised myself from poverty to success.”  Remembering that you were a slave in Egypt eliminates the temptation to arrogance and pride.  Slaves had no rights of their own.  They were chattel.  If a slave displeased his owner, he could be beaten, thrown into prison, or even killed.  No problem.  Slaves came with certificates of ownership, not warranties with rights and privileges guaranteed.

In remembering that they were slaves in Egypt, they acknowledged that it was not their resources or clever negotiations that secured their release.  It was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who sent the plagues that finally convinced Pharaoh that it was in his best interest to cooperate with this 80-year-old sheepherder turned deliverer.  Remembering was tacit acknowledgment that God led them forth by His mighty hand.

In remembering that they were slaves in Egypt, they would treat others with compassion, fairness, and kindness.  God instructed Israel to be kind to strangers, reminding them that they, too, had been strangers.  He ordered safeguards against abuses that had been inflicted on them.

Recently a landlord whose financial statement lists millions in assets was convicted by a court of imposing terrible conditions on the poor people who lived in his rat-infested, cockroach-laden buildings, and the strange quirk to the story is that he himself had been a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, having experienced terrible conditions himself.  He forgot that he had been a slave in Egypt.  And those who forget become taskmasters of the worst kind, without conscience or heart, their consciences hardened to the very things they once so hated.  Sentenced to live in one of his apartments, his conscience may be awakened.  Who knows?

“Ah,” but you may be thinking, “I’ve never been a slave in Egypt.”  Remember, if you would, that Egypt in the Bible is a type of the world, and millions have been slaves of a different kind.  Slaves of a habit, of a temper, of arrogance and pride, of alcohol, drugs, or sex.  Don’t forget that you, too, were a slave in Egypt.

A closing thought.  It is well possible that you still are a slave in Egypt, that more than anything in all the world you would like to be clean, to be delivered from the demon which haunts you.  There’s good news.  The God who delivered the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt is still seeking and saving those who will take the hand of His Son and follow Him through the wilderness to Canaan’s fair land.

Only those who have never tasted the honey and wine of Canaan would choose to remain a slave in Egypt.  It’s time to celebrate the Passover and pack your bags to travel, but whatever you do, remember, you were a slave in Egypt.

Resource reading:  Deuteronomy 16:1-22